The whole reason I quit my job and went to library school was because I have been in love with the public library for some time, both its physical locations and its open services. It allows everybody, no matter who you are or how little money you have, free access to information and technology.

I am currently looking for work in the public libraries, and I have found librarians to be some of the most open and generous people. I wrote to one of my teachers from library school who is a librarian and management at the Vancouver Public Library and she was generous enough to sit down with me, give me suggestions and ideas of what to do now, and tell me about the happenings in the public library system. For the first time since I graduated a year and a half ago, I remember why I want to work in public libraries and why it’s worth it to keep looking for a job in one. I’ve also had super positive responses from other librarians I’ve written to, who have never met me, offering their time and expertise and encouraging words.

I love the public library because it’s where I spent hours of my life doing my school work for university and where I spent hours hiding out when I was in high school. It’s a community meeting place and neighbourhood landmark. You can borrow books and DVD’s and music CD’s that you may not be able to afford to buy. I think public libraries are one of the very few government funded projects that actually benefit all of us, from programs for recent immigrants, programs for kids and teens, as well as endless resources available at no cost. Sure, getting hired as a librarian in one feels right now like trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood, but in the long term, it’s a career that’s worthwhile and ever changing.